Gustavia Yacht Club distributes €190,000 of IRMA relief fund

Within days of IRMA unleashing her anger across St Barts on September 5, 2017, Gustavia Yacht Club stepped up to provide much needed financial help to those who had been hardest hit by the Category 5 hurricane.

The Club’s Commodore, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, had asked the Club’s bankers in Monaco (CFM Indosuez) to set up a special ring-fenced sub-account in the name of the Club with the designation “St Barts – Hurricane IRMA disaster relief fund”.

The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation was the first one to donate, a generous €100,000, to the disaster relief fund and 45 Club members and friends of the island soon after contributed to the cause.

In total, €189,718 was raised during the IRMA appeal, with €190,485 being dispersed to fund 18 “worthy causes” by decision of the Executive Committee of the Club (Sir Stelios with Ken Griggs and Gustavo Riccobon) and under the watchful eye of the full Board of Directors.

Donations raised helped to fund a new fire truck for the Association Amicale des Sapeurs Pompiers, helped to help rebuild the Ecole Ste Marie and College St Barthelemy, paid for emergency equipment and materials distributed to population, to support the horses on the island via the association Galop des Iles, paid for Rehabilitation of Public gardens by the Rotary Club, bought musical instruments for Saint Barthelemy Harmony, assisted various associations and clubs (Association des Jeunes-Surf Club, St Barth Handicap Association, Athleticism Association and Saint Barth Tennis Club), made a donation the Saint Marteens Yacht Club and various owners whose homes were destroyed or damaged, and, paid for Christmas parties for children and families.

“We are delighted to report that the island is well underway towards making a full recovery from IRMA and we would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2018!” the Club’s Commodore wrote to Gustavia Yacht Club members.

The holiday season is upon us, and we’re all frantically buying presents at the Metropole, going to parties, choosing the right outfits, organising family visits – and definitely over-indulging in alcohol.
It’s inevitable, really, and there’s no point in trying to fight it but there are a few things you can do to make this period of the year more enjoyable and less stressful, not just for you but also for those around you.
Drinking is a huge factor that adds to holiday stress, even though many tipplers tend to think a cup-a-cheer takes the edge off. If one person in a couple is drinking heavily, whether socially or at home, it can be detrimental to the relationship, from a drunk person waking up a partner to stubbornly getting behind the wheel impaired.
The World Health Organisation reports that “alcohol is the sixth leading cause of ill health and premature death in high-income countries”. In the US, an estimated 88,000 people die from alcohol-related deaths making alcohol the country’s third leading preventable cause of death.
Beyond its risk factor for premature mortality (cirrhosis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases), alcohol use is linked to more than 200 health conditions. Additionally, in the European Region, WHO claims “alcohol has a causal impact in approximately 15 percent of all causes of death, with the highest proportion of deaths attributable to alcohol being among men aged 20-39 years”.
I’m not suggesting we all fall into this category, but over the next few weeks, try to choose water over yet another glass of wine and alternate the two beverages to keep your alcohol intake in check. Volunteer to be the designated driver and give yourself a booze-free night.
There are other ways to also “take the edge off”.
First of all, give yourself the gift of pause. You deserve a break from stress. Wrap up warm and go and sit at Lavrotto beach or Mala Plage at Cap d’Ail for a few minutes, put away your phone and enjoy being in a quiet moment. Or wake up a little earlier and enjoy your morning coffee before the rest of the house wakes up (a good habit regardless of the time of year).
Secondly, give yourself the gift of choice. We’ve all been there, another festive dinner at Bhudda-Bar surrounded by not your favourite people (who you’ll probably have to pick up the tab for) when you’d rather be on the couch in the comfort of your own home. Yes, these forced evenings can be tiring but choose the right attitude to carry you through. Who knows, by opening yourself up, you may learn something new about your dinner companion and enjoy the evening after all.
Thirdly give yourself the gift of change. Don’t try to make big changes before the holiday season. You’ll most likely not succeed so enjoy this time (and indulge like me). Instead, until the New Year, write down the things you’d like to change in the future, starting with little things.
You can find some great little notebooks, like the ones sold at Grande Papeterie de Monte-Carlo (14 ave de la Costa), to keep handy for when ideas come to you. When the holidays are over, find yourself a cosy spot – personally I love the lobby at the Hermitage or Metropole Hotel – and peruse your jotted list to see which resolutions you think are doable. Obviously you can take notes on your smartphone but disconnecting for a while is part of the process.
Above all, don’t let the hectic pace of December get to you. If you know your diet is going to be especially bad, make sure you balance it out with at least a healthy breakfast or take some extra vitamin supplements to carry you over.
Consider a detox once the frantic feeding period is over. Your body will need it after going overboard during your holiday in Monaco.
And most importantly, if you or someone you love is struggling with drinking, Alcoholics Anonymous has five meetings in English across the week in Monaco, between St Paul’s Church (22 ave Grande Bretagne) and the Eglise Reformée (9 Rue Louis Notari): Sunday 7-8 pm (St Paul’s); Monday 7-8:15 pm (St Paul’s); Tuesday 12:30-1:30 pm (Eglise Reformée); Thursday 7-8 pm (Eglise Reformée) and Friday 12:30-1:30 pm (St Paul’s).
Alternatively, there’s help available at the Princess Grace Hospital Addiction Unit (+377 97 98 84 22).
Udi Gon-Paz is a Wellness Coach and a Functional Therapist specialising in Clinical Nutrition and Stress management. Licensed in Monaco and the UK.

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As an expat, no matter which city I’m invited to a dinner party, the question inevitably comes around to: So what do you do?
“I just stay home with the children,” I reply. Wait, did I say “just”?
Not only was I supporting my husband and our family business in Monaco, but I was also playing a big part in its design and advertising strategy, using my extensive connections to create new accounts, and on top of that I was taking care of the FIVE children living with us at the time. So what’s up with “just”?
I think we can all agree that there’s no such thing as “just” when it comes to raising children, so why do we moms undermine ourselves when it comes to what we do?
True, you can feel both isolated and intimidated being a mom in Monaco. It’s not easy to simply start talking to other mothers at the playground at Place des Moulins, and there are some moms, you know the ones – they drop their kids off at school looking like they’ve just come from a photo shoot – who make you touch your own hair to see if it’s even brushed. It can be real confidence crusher, even more so when your husband is often travelling or at home but always working.

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Going through a divorce changed me as I learned the hard way that you do not divorce the same man that you married. The devil might have taken refuge in my body post-breakup, but I am now becoming more and more sure of myself. I pulled out my old meditation books and was reminded that power is not given to you, you have to claim it.
So I have taken my power back, and I will no longer sit at a dinner party and say, “I am just a mother.” I am so much more and I can see that now.
In Monaco, there are several Facebook forums for women professionals and entrepreneurs, as well as for business workshops and networking. Have a look at Monaco Mums, Association des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises de Monaco and Louise Morelli’s amazing new business Gently to Sleep.
Good luck to all you mothers out there in a similar situation. Remember, in order to change something, something has to change and regardless, you are always more than “just” a mom.
Renate Mjelde has spent the last 20 years between Monaco, the South of France, NY and London, living through her love of literature, art, philosophy and brand building – and, of , course, her 4 kids and cocker spaniel. Article first published May 13, 2018.